Sammy Hagar August 30 2024

  The Best of All Worlds Tour. I never got to see Van Halen before Eddie Van Halen passed away and Sammy was looking for a way to pay tribute to his former bandmate and friend. Sammy promised to pull out some Van Halen deep cuts on this tour so I figured this was as close as I was ever going to get to see Van Halen. The only way it could be closer was if Wolfgang Van Halen decided to do this tour, but he's doing his own thing and rightfully so! I got to see him back in November of 23 opening for Metallica and he was great. Sammy had Joe Satriani filling in for Eddie and Joe is no slouch! There might be other guitar players out there that could also do Eddie justice, but for my money, Joe Satriani is around the top of my short list of people that could do it! And Michael Anthony is here too! So we do have one half of the "Van Hagar" era here and Michael Anthony was there at the beginning. So this is it! this is the one! None of these guys are getting any younger and neither am I so this IS The Only One Way To Rock! 

 Mike was along with me again for this show. We usually argue (jokingly) about whose better with VH. Sam or Dave? Mike is firmly in the Dave camp. I take Sammy's side. I really do think the bands you listen to when you're in high school are the ones that really stick with you your entire life. You might move on from them in your older years. You might grow musically, but the nostalgia will always pull you back. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was released when I was 16years old! So that was MY Van Halen. Now to be honest with you, I look at them as two totally different bands. It doesn't matter to me "Who's Better" The Classic line up is legendary. I love those songs too. I was 9 when 1984 came out and I'm pretty sure that the video for Hot For Teacher jump started me into puberty! I also have my own thoughts on the Dave era vs. the Sammy era. I say "If you're listening to Van Halen for the singer, You're doing it wrong!" Mike is about 11 years older than me and grew up with the Dave era, so I get his loyalty. 

 Rounding out the band was supposed to be Jason Bonham on drums and Rai Thistlethwayte on keyboards. This was also (I thought) was going to be the closest I was ever going to get to Led Zeppelin also. Unfortunately, Jason had a family emergency and had to leave the tour. So replacing him on drums was Kenny Aronoff. Kenny has toured with and played on the albums of some of the biggest names in Rock, Pop and Country music. He's been voted one of the best by different Drum magazine polls. Kenny is most known for his time with John Mellencamp. Now, during an interview with Howard Stern when announcing this tour, Sammy invited anyone he knew to come out and jam with them at any show. I think he was mainly pointing at Alex Van Halen with that, but I'm sure he would Jam with anyone that showed up. Now this show being in Indiana and now Kenny Aronoff playing drums, I thought we just might get an appearance from John Mellencamp. And he was at the venue per Sammy's facebook. We'll just have to wait and see.

 Opening up the festivities was Loverboy. Now I know a few of their songs, but I would say they hit their peak in popularity a little bit before I was really into music. Mike on the other hand was really digging their set. They played a set full of their hits and I think something off of a rather new album. They we're really good and solid Rock n Roll. I enjoyed it and Mike Loved it! Here's The Loverboy Setlist.

Notorius

Lucky Ones

Lovin' Every Minute Of It

The Kid Is Hot Tonite

Take Me To The Top

Hot Girls In Love

Turn Me Loose

Working For The Weekend

 It was a very hot day and there were storms rolling in. Loverboy's set started ten minutes early and the changeover between bands was five minuets shorter than usual. I was really hoping they would miss us. On to Sammy! I'll break down the set list a little. Three Van Halen songs to start with.

Good Enough

Poundcake

Runaround

Then the Sammy Staple

There's Only One Way To Rock 

Then back to VH! pulling heavy from the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge Album. Which is fine by me!

Judgement Day

 At this point, the lightning in the area was getting strong so they had to pause the show to let it pass. They told the people in the lawn to seek shelter. We were under the pavilion so we were fine. It wasn't raining, just a lot of lightning. Sammy didn't really want to stop the show so he just stayed out and was talking to the crowd. Although since he kept talking, nobody sought shelter. The venue finally had to tell him he had to leave the stage. After about forty five minuets the show restarted. The venue has a strict eleven PM curfew. Sammy said they were given permission to finish the show and he would pay the overtime to the crew personally! 

Panama (So glad I got to hear this played live!)

5150

Summer Nights (That one will stick in your head!)

Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (With Michael Anthony taking over the lead vocals)

Top Of The World

Best Of Both Worlds

Satch Boogie (basically Joe Satriani's guitar solo) Pumped to hear this one too!

The Seventh Seal

Right Now

Why Can't This Be Love

Eagles Fly

 It was at this point that another storm system was starting to move in and a stage hand came out on stage to tell Sammy that he had to cancel the rest of the show. Sammy pulled an audible though. "Give me my Guitar! We're doing this one!" As he flashed his wide open hand at the band twice. And they dove into... 

I Can't Drive 55

 No Sammy Hagar concert can be played without 55! So thankful he jammed it in. The stage crew started tearing the stage apart as soon as they finished. Sammy and Michael tried to keep the party going with an acapella version of  Cabo Wabo as the stage was being dismantled, but it was over. The rain was really coming down and the lawn was emptying out. Although the rain basically stopped ten minuets later! We'll never know if there was going to be a jam with Mellencamp. I looked up setlists from other shows to see what songs we missed. Very unfortunate we missed Mas Tequila, Heavy Metal, Space Station #5, Big Foot, Jump, and When It's Love. Still, it was an excellent show. Here are a few more crappy pics. I hate my phone.

Mike and I

                                                                        All the lightning

                                                                        

Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rancid August 24 2024

  So back when I was in the hotel room with my daughter and son in law after watching Metallica, I had asked my son in law Kaden who his favorite band was that he wanted to go see. And he said Green Day. Now I have never really got into Green Day. They made it big after I had left high school, got married and had a kid. I was set in my ways and I love heavy music. Green Day was labeled as "Pop Punk". And I didn't even want to give them a chance back in 1994. 2024 is different. I love my kids and I want them to enjoy life as much as I do. They just came with me to see my favorite band of all time so I thought I should go with them to see theirs. I had just seen the Green Day tour announcement in a facebook ad, so as I'm laying in the hotel room exhausted from the 4 hour drive and Rocking out to Metallica, we discussed what day would be good to go on a road trip to see Green Day. The best day for all of us was a Saturday. The closest show to us on a Saturday was in Milwaukee. It's about the same distance to Milwaukee from our home as it is to Detroit which is where the Metallica show had just been, so I bought the tickets. At first it was just going to be Kaden and myself. My then pregnant daughter would have been only a month or less out from having my first grandchild (or so they were told) so she would not be able to attend. I bought 2 seats down on the field. and that was it. Or so I thought. Metallica was doing the "No Repeat Weekends" for this tour, and the show the kids went with me to was night one. On night two, I was sitting in the crowd with my friend Mike waiting for the show to start when I got the text from Kaden that his Hetero Life Mate Cyin wanted to go see Green Day too. So sitting there at Ford Field I searched for another ticket to Green Day, and low and behold there were two left right next to the ones I had already bought! So I got one more, leaving a single seat in that row next to us. Then a few months passed, And some stuff happened with my daughter and her pregnancy that is very personal so I am not going to go into that. But she was now able to go to the show. I will say everything ended up fine and we have the most beautiful healthy grandson. anyway about two or three months after I had purchased the first three tickets, I figured I'd look and see if that single seat was still there. To my astonishment, it was! So now there are four of this going to this show! 

Home of the Milwaukee Brewers

Me and my kids! 

                                           

 If you have read my post about the Sonic Temple Festival back in May of this year, you would know that Cyin got very ill with food poisoning and missed the Misfits! So he was on a strict no chicken diet at this show! We made the four hour plus ride to Milwaukee and checked into the hotel. Had some tacos at a great mexican restaurant next to the hotel, and headed to the show. No drama, everyone was healthy and everything went great. We got to our seats about 10 minuets before the opening band hit the stage. The Linda Lindas. I'm not really into female led bands, I'm not saying they were bad, it's just not what I'm into. We had walked past the merch booths on the way to our seats because the lines were extremely long. As I'm siting there, I notice a merch tent down on the field off to my left. The line didn't look too long and I wanted them to all have a shirt. So I decided to go stand in line. Cyin joined me. As I got closer, I noticed this line was extremely long also. But at this point I was committed. We could still see the stage and hear the band perfectly. The Sound mix for all four bands that night was excellent! As The Linda Lindas played, I was plesently surprised at the heaviness. I really enjoyed them. Lead vocal duties were shared by at least three different band members (possibly more). The really heavy stuff was when the bass player took the lead. I didn't know any of the songs, but I liked it! I am going to pick up some CDs soon! Here's A bad picture and the set list.

The Linda Lindas

1. Too Many Things

2. Growing Up

3. Resolution Revolution

4. Excuse Me

5. All In My Head

6. Oh!

7. Nino

8. Racist, Sexist Boy

Up next was Rancid. I had bought their CD "And Out Come The Wolves" to prepare for the show. I really like the first song on that album and was looking forward to see the bass player kill the solo! But, I was still in line for T shirts. Kaden and Cyin were as excited for Rancid as much as they were for Green Day. I could still hear that wonderful bass solo in line, but I couldn't really see. We were off to the side. And to be honest, we couldn't really see the stage that well even from our expensive field floor seats. We all admitted to watching the Jumbotrons more than the actual stage. Cyin and I didn't miss much. We were back in our seats by the third song. Now this next sentiment goes for the remaining three bands equally. I believe I enjoy the live show much more to the studio works. Not saying any of it is bad, I just enjoy the energy of a live performance better. Rancid Rocked! I am getting into bands I never thought I would have at this show! Here's a couple of bad pics and the setlist.

  

                                                                                                                                                        

1. Maxwell Murder (THAT BASS!!!)

2. Roots Radicals

3. Side Kick

4. Tomorrow Never Comes

5. The 11th Hour

6. Ghost of A Chance

7. Radio

8. Something in the World Today

9. Fall Back Down

10. Time Bomb

11. Ruby Soho

 Kaden had talked up Rancid and Green Day so much before this show, that I had totally forgot that The Smashing Pumpkins were even going to be there till about a week before the show. Now this is a band that I actively avoided solely based on their image. Boy was that a mistake! Damn they are good! A little subdued  (with the exception of the touring guitarist Kiki Wong! That chick is Metal!) , but DAMN GOOD musicians! The only song I even kind of knew was "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" And I didn't even know what the name of it was. I've got a lot of time to make up with this band. Here's a few bad pics and the set list.

                                       

1. Everlasting Gaze

2. Doomsday Clock

3. Zoo Station

4. Today

5. The Which Animates the Spirit

6. Tonight, Tonight

7. Ava Adore

8. Disarm

9. Bullet With Butterfly Wings

10. Sighommi

11. 1979

12. Jellybelly

13. Cherub Rock

14. Zero

 And now, Green Day. They are out supporting their new album "Saviors", but they have their two most successful albums celebrating significant anniversaries this year. Their breakthrough album "Dookie" 30 years and "American Idiot" 20 years. So they are playing BOTH of those albums in their entirety. I had bought both of these CDs before hand so I would not be going in completely ignorant. I listened to both a few times before the show, and to be honest, I still wasn't feeling it. But like I said earlier, there is more energy in live performances and I really enjoyed the show. I Found myself singing along to more songs than I thought I would. The highlight was when during "Know Your Enemy" they pulled up a young fan named Quinn, Who couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 to help sing. As a new grandfather, I find those kind of things hitting me in the feels a little more than they used to! And the Orchestral version of "All By Myself" was hilarious! Here are some bad pics and the extremely long set list.

Me and my Baby Girl

1. The American Dream Is Killing Me

2. Burnout

3. Having A Blast

4. Chump 

5. Longview

6. Welcome To Paradise

7. Pulling Teeth

8. Basket Case

9. She

10. Sassafras Roots

11. When I Come Around

12. Coming Clean

13. Emenius Sleepus

14. In The End

15. F.O.D. (with Jack & Diane Intro)

16. All By Myself  (Orchestral version)

17. Know Your Enemy (with The Mighty Quinn on Vocals)

18. Look Ma, No Brains!

19. One Eyed Bastard

20. Dilemma (with Free Fallin intro)

21. Minority

22. Brain Stew

23. American Idiot

24. Jesus Of Suburbia

25. Holiday

26. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

27. Are We The Waiting

28. St. Jimmy

29. Give Me Novacaine

30. She's A Rebel

31. Extraordinary Girl

32. Letterbomb

33. Wake Me When September Ends

34. Homecoming

35. Whatsername

36. Bobby Sox

37. Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)

  I had a blast at this show and I know the kids did too, which makes it even more satisfying for me! I'm also glad that I now have some new bands to enjoy. The next day on the way home, we stopped to get some cheese curds, went to a dinosaur museum and took some pics next to Lake Michigan. And then made one more stop in Trevor Wisconsin! Because my name is Trevor! And I'm a Dad! And those are the kind of things us dads do!